“The idea of change is overrated”

I hate to say it, but it’s almost like California’s gift to the world – both with music in the 70s and with people like Steve Jobs – they both appear to be about empowerment and choice but actually it’s the opposite.

I agree.

Do you feel that’s true of the the generation that you were part of? They pretended to be this great thing but you look back … and what did they really change?

The idea of change is overrated. Change in what way? A big change was Lyndon Johnson passing the Voting Rights Act. They didn’t want to do it. The Democrats didn’t want to do it and the Republicans damn sure didn’t want to do it. Eisenhower didn’t want to do it and Kennedy didn’t want to do it – but they had to do it. That’s a whole story in itself. But now you have new Jim Crow laws – the stand-your-ground law is already responsible for about 80 shooting deaths of African Americans. That’s bringing lynching back. That’s bringing Jim Crow back. Can you imagine? Could this be true? Well, it is true, if you see it that way. I do. I keep trying to say it with these songs till I’m blue in the face. But it’s a fact. That’s what going on in this country right now. That’s why Vidal called it a Hitler Youth mindset. This is real shocking stuff.